Odd one out, 20 Nov 2008
I have read every one of Bernard Cornwells Books,had this book on pre order and looked forward so much to the books publication. I can only say, I was so dissapionted, I couldn't wait to get to the end and put it down.
400 pages, only two battles and it really didn't hold my interest at all, I can't express my dissapointment enough.
I must be the odd one out.

Great narrative...dreadfull dialogue..., 20 Nov 2008
This pains me..... Anyone who has met Bernard Cornwell at a book signing would I am sure agree with me when I say that he is a smashing bloke. I have many of his novels personaly signed and always buy his latest hardback.
Cornwell's 'hero' Hook is like so many other Cornwell hereos, so like Sharpe in fact and also Hookton.The dialogue between characters is repetative and boring and there are only so many ways you can insult the French!
Cornwell's discriptive narrative is always good though, and he paints great landscapes of blood, gore and battle with his usual sense of flair.
Most of the novels action does not take place at Agincourt but at Harfleur and the march towards the field of battle.
This was an effort to get through, mainly because of the one dimensional characters. His slowest and dullest book since another 'stand alone' novel, 'Stonehenge'
Cornwell's historical notes at the end of the book were of more interest and more insightful than the novel itself.
And now to really upset him.... BRING BACK STARBUCK!!!


Solid, but lacks something, 17 Nov 2008
Or Agincourt as it was when I was at school!
The Battle of Agincourt was a King Henry V led English victory against a larger French army during the Hundred Years' War (1415). In addition to a great deal of luck (ground conditions, poor French tactics) this was a battle where the power of the English archer (okay, a few Welsh as well) reigned supreme.
In typical Cornwall style he gives us a character (Nicholas Hook an English archer) against which to tell the tale and politics of the events leading up to, and the battle itself.
Cornwall's skill is in the blend of character, action and history. The Sharpe novels are obviously the perfect mix, and perhaps the blend was wrong with the Starbuck novels set in the US Civil War. In this novel it `almost' works but not quite. Hook is a talented fighter who hears voices (a Saint giving him advice) but his character felt lacking. On the march to Azincourt he suffers a personal tragedy, yet seems over it by morning!
The historical elements are, as always, excellent but the rest of this novel lacks that perfect blend that we have come to expect.


Disapointment, 14 Nov 2008
As a big fan of Bernard Cornwell I was disapointed with this latest work. The characters were dusted off versions from his 'Grail' series, the plotline unimaginative and unconvincing. To make it work It was necessary for the hero to start hearing the voices of saints, who would tell him what to do - hardly the convincing narrative we're used to. The only saving grace was the descriptions of the siege of Harfleur and the Battle of Agincourt itself. Well researched and excitingly told. Did Mr Cornewell succumb to the siren song of the Christmas Market and rush this one out? It certainly feels like it.

not yet available in Nice, 12 Nov 2008
WHY is the book called AZINCOURT? The famous battle was fought at AGINCOURT but the French, having lost the battle, changed the name of the village to AZINCOURT. The U.S. edition of this book reverts to the original name. One-up to the Yanks!

Odd one out, 20 Nov 2008
I have read every one of Bernard Cornwells Books,had this book on pre order and looked forward so much to the books publication. I can only say, I was so dissapionted, I couldn't wait to get to the end and put it down.
400 pages, only two battles and it really didn't hold my interest at all, I can't express my dissapointment enough.
I must be the odd one out.

Great narrative...dreadfull dialogue..., 20 Nov 2008
This pains me..... Anyone who has met Bernard Cornwell at a book signing would I am sure agree with me when I say that he is a smashing bloke. I have many of his novels personaly signed and always buy his latest hardback.
Cornwell's 'hero' Hook is like so many other Cornwell hereos, so like Sharpe in fact and also Hookton.The dialogue between characters is repetative and boring and there are only so many ways you can insult the French!
Cornwell's discriptive narrative is always good though, and he paints great landscapes of blood, gore and battle with his usual sense of flair.
Most of the novels action does not take place at Agincourt but at Harfleur and the march towards the field of battle.
This was an effort to get through, mainly because of the one dimensional characters. His slowest and dullest book since another 'stand alone' novel, 'Stonehenge'
Cornwell's historical notes at the end of the book were of more interest and more insightful than the novel itself.
And now to really upset him.... BRING BACK STARBUCK!!!


Solid, but lacks something, 17 Nov 2008
Or Agincourt as it was when I was at school!
The Battle of Agincourt was a King Henry V led English victory against a larger French army during the Hundred Years' War (1415). In addition to a great deal of luck (ground conditions, poor French tactics) this was a battle where the power of the English archer (okay, a few Welsh as well) reigned supreme.
In typical Cornwall style he gives us a character (Nicholas Hook an English archer) against which to tell the tale and politics of the events leading up to, and the battle itself.
Cornwall's skill is in the blend of character, action and history. The Sharpe novels are obviously the perfect mix, and perhaps the blend was wrong with the Starbuck novels set in the US Civil War. In this novel it `almost' works but not quite. Hook is a talented fighter who hears voices (a Saint giving him advice) but his character felt lacking. On the march to Azincourt he suffers a personal tragedy, yet seems over it by morning!
The historical elements are, as always, excellent but the rest of this novel lacks that perfect blend that we have come to expect.


Disapointment, 14 Nov 2008
As a big fan of Bernard Cornwell I was disapointed with this latest work. The characters were dusted off versions from his 'Grail' series, the plotline unimaginative and unconvincing. To make it work It was necessary for the hero to start hearing the voices of saints, who would tell him what to do - hardly the convincing narrative we're used to. The only saving grace was the descriptions of the siege of Harfleur and the Battle of Agincourt itself. Well researched and excitingly told. Did Mr Cornewell succumb to the siren song of the Christmas Market and rush this one out? It certainly feels like it.

not yet available in Nice, 12 Nov 2008
WHY is the book called AZINCOURT? The famous battle was fought at AGINCOURT but the French, having lost the battle, changed the name of the village to AZINCOURT. The U.S. edition of this book reverts to the original name. One-up to the Yanks!

Excellent Tudor Mystery, 15 Nov 2008
What an excellent Tudor mystery - Sansom really brings Tudor life 'back to life'! If you enjoy grizzly murder mysteries with twists and turns then this is for you. It is well up to the standard of the previous 3 Shardlake novels and we can only hope the fourth one will not be too long in arriving! Read and enjoy - one to immerse onself in on a cold winter night!

Gripping!, 14 Nov 2008
Absolutely gripping, kept me guessing right up to the end.
The style was absorbing and it gave the sense that you in the midst of the group as the events unfolded.
A brilliant book - I hope this is not the end of Serjeant Shardlake!
Buy it and get stuck in.


Not quite a revelation..., 10 Nov 2008
In this latest Matthew Shardlake novel, the sights, sounds and smells of Tudor London ring as true as ever, and the struggle between religious reformers and conservatives is persuasively drawn. Unfortunately, the main plot (serial killer on the loose) is irritatingly predictable. Even a semi-comatose reader will have worked out the connection between killings before Shardlake, and from then on it's a plodding murder-by-numbers until the damp squib of a conclusion.
Perhaps the weakness of the plot would have been less obvious if the characters had been better developed. The coroner's main role sees to be to declare every thirty pages that the killer is possessed by the devil, while even Barak, a lively and resourceful presence in earlier novels, spends most of his time getting drunk and squabbling with his wife.
The scenes at Lincoln's Inn and Bedlam are well handled, but overall there is a lack of ingenuity and no real plot twists. I'm hoping Shardlake's next outing will be more inspired.


Another great fun read, 05 Nov 2008
Another Matthew Shardlake novel this time set in 1543. The times are turbulent. Catherine Howard has been executed and Henry VIII is turning away from radical Protestantism but still wants no links with Rome. Different religious factions vie for supremacy and few people can feel completely safe. Although the bible is now translated into English laws are being passed to prevent women and the lower classes from reading it. Into this heady mix comes a serial killer who seems to be selecting his victims among people who have rejected radical Protestantism and killing them in accordance with the atrocities listed in Revelations. Believing there could be a link to Catherine Parr (who Henry is hoping to marry) Archbishop Cranmer enlists Matthew Shardlake to help find the killer without letting the general public (or the king) know what is afoot.

This book is the usual great fun read that we have come to expect from the series. The characters from the earlier books (Jack Barak, Guy Malton and Bealnap) continue to be well developed. Matthew is a wonderful central character - thoughtful, wise and generous of spirit. The religious and political problems of the times are described in a way that doesn't disrupt the flow of the narrative.

At the end everything is resolved. Catherine Parr marries Henry and seems to have a calming influence on him. Cranmer feels he is once again secure in his situation. But, of course, we know what happens to him when Mary comes to the throne......



Dreary dreary woe woe, 29 Oct 2008
While agreeing with all the three-star reviewers, I am afraid that I can't even rate Revelation as high as three stars. Like Zola fan "Nana" I stopped reading half-way through but returned a few days later in hopes that the action would pick up at the end. Shardlake has always had rousing climaxes. But no, the book just ground on and on through one red herring after another and finally here he is again with yet another broken heart. But lo! we are all set up for the next installment--the Catholic plot to destroy Queen Katherine Parr. (Why, by the way does Shardlake continually refer to her as Katherine Parr when at this point in her life she was still Lady Latimer? Ho hum, yet another clumsy anachronism that the editor let fly by.) Sansom started out his series with what looked to be a serious attempt to create a real, conflicted character living in a fascinating time period, following a well-thought-out trajectory. Now he has just become another book-a-year historical mysteries hack. What a waste.

One can only hope that the phenomenal success of his co-authored The Dangerous Book for Boys does not take attention away from the prodigious storytelling skills of Conn Iggulden. As Bones of the Hills forcefully reminds us, Iggulden is the real deal when it comes to historical fiction on the grandest scale. And here, all of his characteristic skills are well to the fore.

A boy was abandoned in the wilderness by his tribe -- but he did not die. As those Iggulden admirers who have read Wolf of the Plains and Lords of the Bow will know, this luckless boy has grown into one of the most feared and powerful figures in history, Genghis Khan. He has persuaded the tribes that had been tearing each other to pieces to ignore their differences and unite under his leadership to battle their oldest enemies. Under his ruthless (and ferociously inspired) leadership, a mighty nation has been forged. But this is only the beginning of his struggles: Khan sends out emissaries, but they are tortured and killed. He attempts to open trade routes; his efforts are met with violent rebuff. Soon, the Mongolian army is stretched to the furthest corners of Khan's realm, and destruction looms.

This is epic storytelling on a nigh-operatic scale. Iggulden has long been the master of the broad brush stroke and conjures up the ancient world with great panache. Of course, the success of a book such as Bones of the Hills depends on the vivid characterisation of its larger-than-life central character, and of the many novels which have attempted to capture Genghis Khan, none have mastered the task as successfully as Conn Iggulden.
--Barry Forshaw

Odd one out, 20 Nov 2008
I have read every one of Bernard Cornwells Books,had this book on pre order and looked forward so much to the books publication. I can only say, I was so dissapionted, I couldn't wait to get to the end and put it down.
400 pages, only two battles and it really didn't hold my interest at all, I can't express my dissapointment enough.
I must be the odd one out.

Great narrative...dreadfull dialogue..., 20 Nov 2008
This pains me..... Anyone who has met Bernard Cornwell at a book signing would I am sure agree with me when I say that he is a smashing bloke. I have many of his novels personaly signed and always buy his latest hardback.
Cornwell's 'hero' Hook is like so many other Cornwell hereos, so like Sharpe in fact and also Hookton.The dialogue between characters is repetative and boring and there are only so many ways you can insult the French!
Cornwell's discriptive narrative is always good though, and he paints great landscapes of blood, gore and battle with his usual sense of flair.
Most of the novels action does not take place at Agincourt but at Harfleur and the march towards the field of battle.
This was an effort to get through, mainly because of the one dimensional characters. His slowest and dullest book since another 'stand alone' novel, 'Stonehenge'
Cornwell's historical notes at the end of the book were of more interest and more insightful than the novel itself.
And now to really upset him.... BRING BACK STARBUCK!!!


Solid, but lacks something, 17 Nov 2008
Or Agincourt as it was when I was at school!
The Battle of Agincourt was a King Henry V led English victory against a larger French army during the Hundred Years' War (1415). In addition to a great deal of luck (ground conditions, poor French tactics) this was a battle where the power of the English archer (okay, a few Welsh as well) reigned supreme.
In typical Cornwall style he gives us a character (Nicholas Hook an English archer) against which to tell the tale and politics of the events leading up to, and the battle itself.
Cornwall's skill is in the blend of character, action and history. The Sharpe novels are obviously the perfect mix, and perhaps the blend was wrong with the Starbuck novels set in the US Civil War. In this novel it `almost' works but not quite. Hook is a talented fighter who hears voices (a Saint giving him advice) but his character felt lacking. On the march to Azincourt he suffers a personal tragedy, yet seems over it by morning!
The historical elements are, as always, excellent but the rest of this novel lacks that perfect blend that we have come to expect.


Disapointment, 14 Nov 2008
As a big fan of Bernard Cornwell I was disapointed with this latest work. The characters were dusted off versions from his 'Grail' series, the plotline unimaginative and unconvincing. To make it work It was necessary for the hero to start hearing the voices of saints, who would tell him what to do - hardly the convincing narrative we're used to. The only saving grace was the descriptions of the siege of Harfleur and the Battle of Agincourt itself. Well researched and excitingly told. Did Mr Cornewell succumb to the siren song of the Christmas Market and rush this one out? It certainly feels like it.

not yet available in Nice, 12 Nov 2008
WHY is the book called AZINCOURT? The famous battle was fought at AGINCOURT but the French, having lost the battle, changed the name of the village to AZINCOURT. The U.S. edition of this book reverts to the original name. One-up to the Yanks!

Excellent Tudor Mystery, 15 Nov 2008
What an excellent Tudor mystery - Sansom really brings Tudor life 'back to life'! If you enjoy grizzly murder mysteries with twists and turns then this is for you. It is well up to the standard of the previous 3 Shardlake novels and we can only hope the fourth one will not be too long in arriving! Read and enjoy - one to immerse onself in on a cold winter night!

Gripping!, 14 Nov 2008
Absolutely gripping, kept me guessing right up to the end.
The style was absorbing and it gave the sense that you in the midst of the group as the events unfolded.
A brilliant book - I hope this is not the end of Serjeant Shardlake!
Buy it and get stuck in.


Not quite a revelation..., 10 Nov 2008
In this latest Matthew Shardlake novel, the sights, sounds and smells of Tudor London ring as true as ever, and the struggle between religious reformers and conservatives is persuasively drawn. Unfortunately, the main plot (serial killer on the loose) is irritatingly predictable. Even a semi-comatose reader will have worked out the connection between killings before Shardlake, and from then on it's a plodding murder-by-numbers until the damp squib of a conclusion.
Perhaps the weakness of the plot would have been less obvious if the characters had been better developed. The coroner's main role sees to be to declare every thirty pages that the killer is possessed by the devil, while even Barak, a lively and resourceful presence in earlier novels, spends most of his time getting drunk and squabbling with his wife.
The scenes at Lincoln's Inn and Bedlam are well handled, but overall there is a lack of ingenuity and no real plot twists. I'm hoping Shardlake's next outing will be more inspired.


Another great fun read, 05 Nov 2008
Another Matthew Shardlake novel this time set in 1543. The times are turbulent. Catherine Howard has been executed and Henry VIII is turning away from radical Protestantism but still wants no links with Rome. Different religious factions vie for supremacy and few people can feel completely safe. Although the bible is now translated into English laws are being passed to prevent women and the lower classes from reading it. Into this heady mix comes a serial killer who seems to be selecting his victims among people who have rejected radical Protestantism and killing them in accordance with the atrocities listed in Revelations. Believing there could be a link to Catherine Parr (who Henry is hoping to marry) Archbishop Cranmer enlists Matthew Shardlake to help find the killer without letting the general public (or the king) know what is afoot.

This book is the usual great fun read that we have come to expect from the series. The characters from the earlier books (Jack Barak, Guy Malton and Bealnap) continue to be well developed. Matthew is a wonderful central character - thoughtful, wise and generous of spirit. The religious and political problems of the times are described in a way that doesn't disrupt the flow of the narrative.

At the end everything is resolved. Catherine Parr marries Henry and seems to have a calming influence on him. Cranmer feels he is once again secure in his situation. But, of course, we know what happens to him when Mary comes to the throne......



Dreary dreary woe woe, 29 Oct 2008
While agreeing with all the three-star reviewers, I am afraid that I can't even rate Revelation as high as three stars. Like Zola fan "Nana" I stopped reading half-way through but returned a few days later in hopes that the action would pick up at the end. Shardlake has always had rousing climaxes. But no, the book just ground on and on through one red herring after another and finally here he is again with yet another broken heart. But lo! we are all set up for the next installment--the Catholic plot to destroy Queen Katherine Parr. (Why, by the way does Shardlake continually refer to her as Katherine Parr when at this point in her life she was still Lady Latimer? Ho hum, yet another clumsy anachronism that the editor let fly by.) Sansom started out his series with what looked to be a serious attempt to create a real, conflicted character living in a fascinating time period, following a well-thought-out trajectory. Now he has just become another book-a-year historical mysteries hack. What a waste.

Finally Iggulden gets it right, 20 Nov 2008
I have often been critical of Iggulden's work - especially this recent series. However, that criticism has been stopped dead in its tracks. This is a stunning book, and perhaps one of the best I've ever read.

Iggulden has finally worked out what he is so good at - describing battles in a breathless and uncompromising fashion. Most of this book is a series of tremedous battles/sieges - and when he does come out of this, he keeps the less interesting interludes brief and concise. One teeny observation which does annoy me - his total fixation with one word - "wince". Surely he can find a substitute for it!

As I have said before, Iggulden will never be a writer of great sophistication, nor will he be a conveyor of intricate plotting or characterisation, however, if he sticks to what he does best - like he does so well in this book - he will continue to be a great success.

Superb end to the trilogy, 11 Nov 2008
Conn Iggulden is the master of this genre with Manfredi, Cornwell and Scarrow following close behind. I was not sure anything could top the Emperor series of books, but this may have managed it. This is the third and final book in the series and sees the fall of a great leader and general. Although he is seen as a ruthless conqueror, this book gives you a unique insight into his mind and way of thinking which makes you feel like you are almost on his side. This part of his life he takes on his biggest foe to date into new lands creating an empire than was the biggest known to man, making the Roman Empire pale into insignificance. A superb end to the trilogy, really keen to see which historical figure he tackles next.

NOT THE END, 08 Nov 2008
This is easily his best book,both of this series and the fantastic Emperor.
Many people have stated this is the end of the Mongol series however to correct this it isn't. The author has stated there are 3 mores books planned focusing on the sons/grandson of Genghis.
Should be fascinating.

great pace... until the end, 05 Nov 2008
I actually thought the first book was great, the second not quite as good, and the third one was back to being pretty great, right up until the end. I read the last 100 pages last night and when it finished, I was a bit miffed at the author for not giving me a satisfactory conclusion to the tale. I would still recommend this as being better than most of the other rubbish that gets published under the 'historical fiction' category though.

wow fanastic, 05 Nov 2008
i loved this book the best of the three thank you Con Iggulden for such a enjoyable read i was hook from the first to the last page it is imposible to put down i love the way the characters are developed Tsubodi and Jochi became my favourite characters in this book and i really enjoyed the way the story played out for the two of them. As for Genghis what he manage to achieve was amazing.

Odd one out, 20 Nov 2008
I have read every one of Bernard Cornwells Books,had this book on pre order and looked forward so much to the books publication. I can only say, I was so dissapionted, I couldn't wait to get to the end and put it down.
400 pages, only two battles and it really didn't hold my interest at all, I can't express my dissapointment enough.
I must be the odd one out.

Great narrative...dreadfull dialogue..., 20 Nov 2008
This pains me..... Anyone who has met Bernard Cornwell at a book signing would I am sure agree with me when I say that he is a smashing bloke. I have many of his novels personaly signed and always buy his latest hardback.
Cornwell's 'hero' Hook is like so many other Cornwell hereos, so like Sharpe in fact and also Hookton.The dialogue between characters is repetative and boring and there are only so many ways you can insult the French!
Cornwell's discriptive narrative is always good though, and he paints great landscapes of blood, gore and battle with his usual sense of flair.
Most of the novels action does not take place at Agincourt but at Harfleur and the march towards the field of battle.
This was an effort to get through, mainly because of the one dimensional characters. His slowest and dullest book since another 'stand alone' novel, 'Stonehenge'
Cornwell's historical notes at the end of the book were of more interest and more insightful than the novel itself.
And now to really upset him.... BRING BACK STARBUCK!!!


Solid, but lacks something, 17 Nov 2008
Or Agincourt as it was when I was at school!
The Battle of Agincourt was a King Henry V led English victory against a larger French army during the Hundred Years' War (1415). In addition to a great deal of luck (ground conditions, poor French tactics) this was a battle where the power of the English archer (okay, a few Welsh as well) reigned supreme.
In typical Cornwall style he gives us a character (Nicholas Hook an English archer) against which to tell the tale and politics of the events leading up to, and the battle itself.
Cornwall's skill is in the blend of character, action and history. The Sharpe novels are obviously the perfect mix, and perhaps the blend was wrong with the Starbuck novels set in the US Civil War. In this novel it `almost' works but not quite. Hook is a talented fighter who hears voices (a Saint giving him advice) but his character felt lacking. On the march to Azincourt he suffers a personal tragedy, yet seems over it by morning!
The historical elements are, as always, excellent but the rest of this novel lacks that perfect blend that we have come to expect.


Disapointment, 14 Nov 2008
As a big fan of Bernard Cornwell I was disapointed with this latest work. The characters were dusted off versions from his 'Grail' series, the plotline unimaginative and unconvincing. To make it work It was necessary for the hero to start hearing the voices of saints, who would tell him what to do - hardly the convincing narrative we're used to. The only saving grace was the descriptions of the siege of Harfleur and the Battle of Agincourt itself. Well researched and excitingly told. Did Mr Cornewell succumb to the siren song of the Christmas Market and rush this one out? It certainly feels like it.

not yet available in Nice, 12 Nov 2008
WHY is the book called AZINCOURT? The famous battle was fought at AGINCOURT but the French, having lost the battle, changed the name of the village to AZINCOURT. The U.S. edition of this book reverts to the original name. One-up to the Yanks!

Excellent Tudor Mystery, 15 Nov 2008
What an excellent Tudor mystery - Sansom really brings Tudor life 'back to life'! If you enjoy grizzly murder mysteries with twists and turns then this is for you. It is well up to the standard of the previous 3 Shardlake novels and we can only hope the fourth one will not be too long in arriving! Read and enjoy - one to immerse onself in on a cold winter night!

Gripping!, 14 Nov 2008
Absolutely gripping, kept me guessing right up to the end.
The style was absorbing and it gave the sense that you in the midst of the group as the events unfolded.
A brilliant book - I hope this is not the end of Serjeant Shardlake!
Buy it and get stuck in.


Not quite a revelation..., 10 Nov 2008
In this latest Matthew Shardlake novel, the sights, sounds and smells of Tudor London ring as true as ever, and the struggle between religious reformers and conservatives is persuasively drawn. Unfortunately, the main plot (serial killer on the loose) is irritatingly predictable. Even a semi-comatose reader will have worked out the connection between killings before Shardlake, and from then on it's a plodding murder-by-numbers until the damp squib of a conclusion.
Perhaps the weakness of the plot would have been less obvious if the characters had been better developed. The coroner's main role sees to be to declare every thirty pages that the killer is possessed by the devil, while even Barak, a lively and resourceful presence in earlier novels, spends most of his time getting drunk and squabbling with his wife.
The scenes at Lincoln's Inn and Bedlam are well handled, but overall there is a lack of ingenuity and no real plot twists. I'm hoping Shardlake's next outing will be more inspired.


Another great fun read, 05 Nov 2008
Another Matthew Shardlake novel this time set in 1543. The times are turbulent. Catherine Howard has been executed and Henry VIII is turning away from radical Protestantism but still wants no links with Rome. Different religious factions vie for supremacy and few people can feel completely safe. Although the bible is now translated into English laws are being passed to prevent women and the lower classes from reading it. Into this heady mix comes a serial killer who seems to be selecting his victims among people who have rejected radical Protestantism and killing them in accordance with the atrocities listed in Revelations. Believing there could be a link to Catherine Parr (who Henry is hoping to marry) Archbishop Cranmer enlists Matthew Shardlake to help find the killer without letting the general public (or the king) know what is afoot.

This book is the usual great fun read that we have come to expect from the series. The characters from the earlier books (Jack Barak, Guy Malton and Bealnap) continue to be well developed. Matthew is a wonderful central character - thoughtful, wise and generous of spirit. The religious and political problems of the times are described in a way that doesn't disrupt the flow of the narrative.

At the end everything is resolved. Catherine Parr marries Henry and seems to have a calming influence on him. Cranmer feels he is once again secure in his situation. But, of course, we know what happens to him when Mary comes to the throne......



Dreary dreary woe woe, 29 Oct 2008
While agreeing with all the three-star reviewers, I am afraid that I can't even rate Revelation as high as three stars. Like Zola fan "Nana" I stopped reading half-way through but returned a few days later in hopes that the action would pick up at the end. Shardlake has always had rousing climaxes. But no, the book just ground on and on through one red herring after another and finally here he is again with yet another broken heart. But lo! we are all set up for the next installment--the Catholic plot to destroy Queen Katherine Parr. (Why, by the way does Shardlake continually refer to her as Katherine Parr when at this point in her life she was still Lady Latimer? Ho hum, yet another clumsy anachronism that the editor let fly by.) Sansom started out his series with what looked to be a serious attempt to create a real, conflicted character living in a fascinating time period, following a well-thought-out trajectory. Now he has just become another book-a-year historical mysteries hack. What a waste.

Finally Iggulden gets it right, 20 Nov 2008
I have often been critical of Iggulden's work - especially this recent series. However, that criticism has been stopped dead in its tracks. This is a stunning book, and perhaps one of the best I've ever read.

Iggulden has finally worked out what he is so good at - describing battles in a breathless and uncompromising fashion. Most of this book is a series of tremedous battles/sieges - and when he does come out of this, he keeps the less interesting interludes brief and concise. One teeny observation which does annoy me - his total fixation with one word - "wince". Surely he can find a substitute for it!

As I have said before, Iggulden will never be a writer of great sophistication, nor will he be a conveyor of intricate plotting or characterisation, however, if he sticks to what he does best - like he does so well in this book - he will continue to be a great success.

Superb end to the trilogy, 11 Nov 2008
Conn Iggulden is the master of this genre with Manfredi, Cornwell and Scarrow following close behind. I was not sure anything could top the Emperor series of books, but this may have managed it. This is the third and final book in the series and sees the fall of a great leader and general. Although he is seen as a ruthless conqueror, this book gives you a unique insight into his mind and way of thinking which makes you feel like you are almost on his side. This part of his life he takes on his biggest foe to date into new lands creating an empire than was the biggest known to man, making the Roman Empire pale into insignificance. A superb end to the trilogy, really keen to see which historical figure he tackles next.

NOT THE END, 08 Nov 2008
This is easily his best book,both of this series and the fantastic Emperor.
Many people have stated this is the end of the Mongol series however to correct this it isn't. The author has stated there are 3 mores books planned focusing on the sons/grandson of Genghis.
Should be fascinating.

great pace... until the end, 05 Nov 2008
I actually thought the first book was great, the second not quite as good, and the third one was back to being pretty great, right up until the end. I read the last 100 pages last night and when it finished, I was a bit miffed at the author for not giving me a satisfactory conclusion to the tale. I would still recommend this as being better than most of the other rubbish that gets published under the 'historical fiction' category though.

wow fanastic, 05 Nov 2008
i loved this book the best of the three thank you Con Iggulden for such a enjoyable read i was hook from the first to the last page it is imposible to put down i love the way the characters are developed Tsubodi and Jochi became my favourite characters in this book and i really enjoyed the way the story played out for the two of them. As for Genghis what he manage to achieve was amazing.

By far his best, 14 Nov 2008
I find that all of Ken Follett's other books - including World Without End - are simply "holiday reading". However Pillars of the Earth seems almost to have come from the pen of someone else. It is superb on many levels - and would certainly be in my top ten books ever. Thank you Ken!

Interesting historically, workmanlike writing, 14 Nov 2008
Someone else mentioned this, but Follett has the silly habit of summarising the previous few pages at the end of a section. As if we have 5 second attention spans and need to be reminded of what we have just read. It's incredibly annoying and condescending.

The quality of prose is at the level of a teenager. All short sentences, "he said, she said" type of stuff. No long descriptions to befuddle the reader. Some of the set pieces are quite exciting eg the historical Battle of Lincoln and the murder of Thomas Beckett. There are some wasted opportunites however. Eg two of the protaganists take a trip to Santiago de Compostela...quite a trip in those days I'm sure. However the whole trip is glossed over in a few pages.

It's basically an easy read, interesting if you're into medieval England, but in no way thought-provoking or deep. But that's ok, not everybook needs to read like Proust and hence I give it 3 stars!

Do yourself a favour - BUY THIS BOOK, 06 Nov 2008
This book is pretty damn special. A year after it was first recommended to me, I got my act together - even then it was only because the friend who recommended it grew tired of waiting for me to start and bought it for me.

Once I started reading I could not stop: a superb narrative and unforgettable characters. In fact, since finishing this book, I have truly missed them all and kind of wish I had never read the book because then it would mean that I could read it all over again.

Look at things in new ways, 06 Nov 2008
well written, if somewhat rushed as an ending, its a very engaging story. really does make me look at somethings, namely old churches and the love that went into building them, differently. But it is FAR more than a book about building a church.... you'll enjoy it :)

Spell bounding!!, 27 Oct 2008
Never heard of Ken Follett before. Family member recommended this and I took on holiday. What fantastic reading and the story just kept getting better, I just couldn't put it down. The book completely fell apart with the heat of the sun, so couldn't pass this on to my friends. I know many of them will be buying this, so have now started reading all of Ken's books. Well done....

Odd one out, 20 Nov 2008
I have read every one of Bernard Cornwells Books,had this book on pre order and looked forward so much to the books publication. I can only say, I was so dissapionted, I couldn't wait to get to the end and put it down.
400 pages, only two battles and it really didn't hold my interest at all, I can't express my dissapointment enough.
I must be the odd one out.

Great narrative...dreadfull dialogue..., 20 Nov 2008
This pains me..... Anyone who has met Bernard Cornwell at a book signing would I am sure agree with me when I say that he is a smashing bloke. I have many of his novels personaly signed and always buy his latest hardback.
Cornwell's 'hero' Hook is like so many other Cornwell hereos, so like Sharpe in fact and also Hookton.The dialogue between characters is repetative and boring and there are only so many ways you can insult the French!
Cornwell's discriptive narrative is always good though, and he paints great landscapes of blood, gore and battle with his usual sense of flair.
Most of the novels action does not take place at Agincourt but at Harfleur and the march towards the field of battle.
This was an effort to get through, mainly because of the one dimensional characters. His slowest and dullest book since another 'stand alone' novel, 'Stonehenge'
Cornwell's historical notes at the end of the book were of more interest and more insightful than the novel itself.
And now to really upset him.... BRING BACK STARBUCK!!!


Solid, but lacks something, 17 Nov 2008
Or Agincourt as it was when I was at school!
The Battle of Agincourt was a King Henry V led English victory against a larger French army during the Hundred Years' War (1415). In addition to a great deal of luck (ground conditions, poor French tactics) this was a battle where the power of the English archer (okay, a few Welsh as well) reigned supreme.
In typical Cornwall style he gives us a character (Nicholas Hook an English archer) against which to tell the tale and politics of the events leading up to, and the battle itself.
Cornwall's skill is in the blend of character, action and history. The Sharpe novels are obviously the perfect mix, and perhaps the blend was wrong with the Starbuck novels set in the US Civil War. In this novel it `almost' works but not quite. Hook is a talented fighter who hears voices (a Saint giving him advice) but his character felt lacking. On the march to Azincourt he suffers a personal tragedy, yet seems over it by morning!
The historical elements are, as always, excellent but the rest of this novel lacks that perfect blend that we have come to expect.


Disapointment, 14 Nov 2008
As a big fan of Bernard Cornwell I was disapointed with this latest work. The characters were dusted off versions from his 'Grail' series, the plotline unimaginative and unconvincing. To make it work It was necessary for the hero to start hearing the voices of saints, who would tell him what to do - hardly the convincing narrative we're used to. The only saving grace was the descriptions of the siege of Harfleur and the Battle of Agincourt itself. Well researched and excitingly told. Did Mr Cornewell succumb to the siren song of the Christmas Market and rush this one out? It certainly feels like it.

not yet available in Nice, 12 Nov 2008
WHY is the book called AZINCOURT? The famous battle was fought at AGINCOURT but the French, having lost the battle, changed the name of the village to AZINCOURT. The U.S. edition of this book reverts to the original name. One-up to the Yanks!

Excellent Tudor Mystery, 15 Nov 2008
What an excellent Tudor mystery - Sansom really brings Tudor life 'back to life'! If you enjoy grizzly murder mysteries with twists and turns then this is for you. It is well up to the standard of the previous 3 Shardlake novels and we can only hope the fourth one will not be too long in arriving! Read and enjoy - one to immerse onself in on a cold winter night!

Gripping!, 14 Nov 2008
Absolutely gripping, kept me guessing right up to the end.
The style was absorbing and it gave the sense that you in the midst of the group as the events unfolded.
A brilliant book - I hope this is not the end of Serjeant Shardlake!
Buy it and get stuck in.


Not quite a revelation..., 10 Nov 2008
In this latest Matthew Shardlake novel, the sights, sounds and smells of Tudor London ring as true as ever, and the struggle between religious reformers and conservatives is persuasively drawn. Unfortunately, the main plot (serial killer on the loose) is irritatingly predictable. Even a semi-comatose reader will have worked out the connection between killings before Shardlake, and from then on it's a plodding murder-by-numbers until the damp squib of a conclusion.
Perhaps the weakness of the plot would have been less obvious if the characters had been better developed. The coroner's main role sees to be to declare every thirty pages that the killer is possessed by the devil, while even Barak, a lively and resourceful presence in earlier novels, spends most of his time getting drunk and squabbling with his wife.
The scenes at Lincoln's Inn and Bedlam are well handled, but overall there is a lack of ingenuity and no real plot twists. I'm hoping Shardlake's next outing will be more inspired.


Another great fun read, 05 Nov 2008
Another Matthew Shardlake novel this time set in 1543. The times are turbulent. Catherine Howard has been executed and Henry VIII is turning away from radical Protestantism but still wants no links with Rome. Different religious factions vie for supremacy and few people can feel completely safe. Although the bible is now translated into English laws are being passed to prevent women and the lower classes from reading it. Into this heady mix comes a serial killer who seems to be selecting his victims among people who have rejected radical Protestantism and killing them in accordance with the atrocities listed in Revelations. Believing there could be a link to Catherine Parr (who Henry is hoping to marry) Archbishop Cranmer enlists Matthew Shardlake to help find the killer without letting the general public (or the king) know what is afoot.

This book is the usual great fun read that we have come to expect from the series. The characters from the earlier books (Jack Barak, Guy Malton and Bealnap) continue to be well developed. Matthew is a wonderful central character - thoughtful, wise and generous of spirit. The religious and political problems of the times are described in a way that doesn't disrupt the flow of the narrative.

At the end everything is resolved. Catherine Parr marries Henry and seems to have a calming influence on him. Cranmer feels he is once again secure in his situation. But, of course, we know what happens to him when Mary comes to the throne......



Dreary dreary woe woe, 29 Oct 2008
While agreeing with all the three-star reviewers, I am afraid that I can't even rate Revelation as high as three stars. Like Zola fan "Nana" I stopped reading half-way through but returned a few days later in hopes that the action would pick up at the end. Shardlake has always had rousing climaxes. But no, the book just ground on and on through one red herring after another and finally here he is again with yet another broken heart. But lo! we are all set up for the next installment--the Catholic plot to destroy Queen Katherine Parr. (Why, by the way does Shardlake continually refer to her as Katherine Parr when at this point in her life she was still Lady Latimer? Ho hum, yet another clumsy anachronism that the editor let fly by.) Sansom started out his series with what looked to be a serious attempt to create a real, conflicted character living in a fascinating time period, following a well-thought-out trajectory. Now he has just become another book-a-year historical mysteries hack. What a waste.

Finally Iggulden gets it right, 20 Nov 2008
I have often been critical of Iggulden's work - especially this recent series. However, that criticism has been stopped dead in its tracks. This is a stunning book, and perhaps one of the best I've ever read.

Iggulden has finally worked out what he is so good at - describing battles in a breathless and uncompromising fashion. Most of this book is a series of tremedous battles/sieges - and when he does come out of this, he keeps the less interesting interludes brief and concise. One teeny observation which does annoy me - his total fixation with one word - "wince". Surely he can find a substitute for it!

As I have said before, Iggulden will never be a writer of great sophistication, nor will he be a conveyor of intricate plotting or characterisation, however, if he sticks to what he does best - like he does so well in this book - he will continue to be a great success.

Superb end to the trilogy, 11 Nov 2008
Conn Iggulden is the master of this genre with Manfredi, Cornwell and Scarrow following close behind. I was not sure anything could top the Emperor series of books, but this may have managed it. This is the third and final book in the series and sees the fall of a great leader and general. Although he is seen as a ruthless conqueror, this book gives you a unique insight into his mind and way of thinking which makes you feel like you are almost on his side. This part of his life he takes on his biggest foe to date into new lands creating an empire than was the biggest known to man, making the Roman Empire pale into insignificance. A superb end to the trilogy, really keen to see which historical figure he tackles next.

NOT THE END, 08 Nov 2008
This is easily his best book,both of this series and the fantastic Emperor.
Many people have stated this is the end of the Mongol series however to correct this it isn't. The author has stated there are 3 mores books planned focusing on the sons/grandson of Genghis.
Should be fascinating.

great pace... until the end, 05 Nov 2008
I actually thought the first book was great, the second not quite as good, and the third one was back to being pretty great, right up until the end. I read the last 100 pages last night and when it finished, I was a bit miffed at the author for not giving me a satisfactory conclusion to the tale. I would still recommend this as being better than most of the other rubbish that gets published under the 'historical fiction' category though.

wow fanastic, 05 Nov 2008
i loved this book the best of the three thank you Con Iggulden for such a enjoyable read i was hook from the first to the last page it is imposible to put down i love the way the characters are developed Tsubodi and Jochi became my favourite characters in this book and i really enjoyed the way the story played out for the two of them. As for Genghis what he manage to achieve was amazing.

By far his best, 14 Nov 2008
I find that all of Ken Follett's other books - including World Without End - are simply "holiday reading". However Pillars of the Earth seems almost to have come from the pen of someone else. It is superb on many levels - and would certainly be in my top ten books ever. Thank you Ken!

Interesting historically, workmanlike writing, 14 Nov 2008
Someone else mentioned this, but Follett has the silly habit of summarising the previous few pages at the end of a section. As if we have 5 second attention spans and need to be reminded of what we have just read. It's incredibly annoying and condescending.

The quality of prose is at the level of a teenager. All short sentences, "he said, she said" type of stuff. No long descriptions to befuddle the reader. Some of the set pieces are quite exciting eg the historical Battle of Lincoln and the murder of Thomas Beckett. There are some wasted opportunites however. Eg two of the protaganists take a trip to Santiago de Compostela...quite a trip in those days I'm sure. However the whole trip is glossed over in a few pages.

It's basically an easy read, interesting if you're into medieval England, but in no way thought-provoking or deep. But that's ok, not everybook needs to read like Proust and hence I give it 3 stars!

Do yourself a favour - BUY THIS BOOK, 06 Nov 2008
This book is pretty damn special. A year after it was first recommended to me, I got my act together - even then it was only because the friend who recommended it grew tired of waiting for me to start and bought it for me.

Once I started reading I could not stop: a superb narrative and unforgettable characters. In fact, since finishing this book, I have truly missed them all and kind of wish I had never read the book because then it would mean that I could read it all over again.

Look at things in new ways, 06 Nov 2008
well written, if somewhat rushed as an ending, its a very engaging story. really does make me look at somethings, namely old churches and the love that went into building them, differently. But it is FAR more than a book about building a church.... you'll enjoy it :)

Spell bounding!!, 27 Oct 2008
Never heard of Ken Follett before. Family member recommended this and I took on holiday. What fantastic reading and the story just kept getting better, I just couldn't put it down. The book completely fell apart with the heat of the sun, so couldn't pass this on to my friends. I know many of them will be buying this, so have now started reading all of Ken's books. Well done....

Conn Iggulden does it again , 22 Oct 2008
Why cant Conn Iggulden write any faster? Have to say, another triumph. I love the way he writes, you feel like you are part of the whole journey. It's clever as well, because the heroes aren't heroes, there just as nasty as the bad guys, however they are your bad guys! Going to be depressed again now waiting ages for his next one :-(

Fab, 19 Oct 2008
I was going to give this book 4 stars, but I read the last half in 24hrs, I feel that any book that can draw me in such as this deserves a 5 star rating. It really is an epic story if you read and enjoyed'Wolf of the Plains' then you will love this. I particularly like that the story does not just focus on Genghis in fact there are times where the story leaves him behind and follows his brothers journeys, what's surprising is that the book is all the better for this.

In short it's well worth a read you will not be disappointed. Enjoy.

An epic story told by a master story teller, 19 Oct 2008
I was going to give this book 4 stars, but I read the last half in 24hrs, I feel that any book that can draw me in such as this deserves a 5 star rating. It really is an epic story if you read and enjoyed'Wolf of the Plains' then you will love this. I particularly like that the story does not just focus on Genghis in fact there are times where the story leaves him behind and follows his brothers journeys, what's surprising is that the book is all the better for this.

In short it's well worth a read you will not be disappointed. Enjoy.

Very good Conn., 23 Sep 2008
Not the best Conn Iggulden, but still very good. Really you need to read the first book in the Conqueror series before reading this, but it is not vital. Conn sketches out the characters, locations and events very well and the story/history is excellent. Goodies and baddies developed well. My only criticisms are that I think the book is a little short, and I think Conn wraps it all up quite quickly. I dont think so far that this series has scaled the hights of some of the Emporer series, but still Conn is probably one of the best fiction/history writers around.

Lords 4 Reel, 11 Sep 2008
I have just finished reading the book yesterday and 2 be quite honest i couldnt put it down wherever i go i take the book with me as i have read the Wolf of the Plains i couldnt wait for another book on Genghis Khan its just awesome to read i have seen book 2 but am not sure if its the same lords of the bow part 2 or the same one.need to ask at a bookshop to see cuz i cant wait to read the continuation as i have just pre-ordered BRISINGR.of the Inheritance Triology Eragon.

Philippa Gregory has long been one of the most assured practitioners of historical fiction, but her profile was raised even higher by the film of her novel The Other Boleyn Girl. Gregory admirers, however, were heard to remark of that movie: `Not as good as the book!' And if her new novel, the highly accomplished The Other Queen is ever afforded the Hollywood treatment, there will no doubt be a similar chorus. The reason for this dedication by her readers is not hard to fathom: assiduously researched historical facts are married to consummate storytelling skills - and the effortless ability to rescue historical figures from the dusty pages of the past.

At the centre of this novel is Mary Queen of Scotland, forced to flee into England. Mary, a devout Catholic, is, of course, a living threat to the rule of her cousin Elisabeth, whose Protestant reign is uncertain. We've been here before, of course, in various books and films. But Philippa Gregory's story this time has a different emphasis: Elizabeth's chief advisor, Cecil, formulates a plan in which the destabilising Mary will live under guard with his faithful friend, Bess of Hardwick. Bess is a remarkable woman herself; someone who has forged her own destiny, and is now in her fourth marriage, to the distinguished Earl of Shrewsbury. But soon Bess and Mary find themselves plunged into very different personal crises - with Bess's marriage under considerable strain.

The Other Queen is wonderfully accomplished stuff, evoking a much-pored-over era with a totally fresh eye.
--Barry Forshaw

Odd one out, 20 Nov 2008
I have read every one of Bernard Cornwells Books,had this book on pre order and looked forward so much to the books publication. I can only say, I was so dissapionted, I couldn't wait to get to the end and put it down.
400 pages, only two battles and it really didn't hold my interest at all, I can't express my dissapointment enough.
I must be the odd one out.

Great narrative...dreadfull dialogue..., 20 Nov 2008
This pains me..... Anyone who has met Bernard Cornwell at a book signing would I am sure agree with me when I say that he is a smashing bloke. I have many of his novels personaly signed and always buy his latest hardback.
Cornwell's 'hero' Hook is like so many other Cornwell hereos, so like Sharpe in fact and also Hookton.The dialogue between characters is repetative and boring and there are only so many ways you can insult the French!
Cornwell's discriptive narrative is always good though, and he paints great landscapes of blood, gore and battle with his usual sense of flair.
Most of the novels action does not take place at Agincourt but at Harfleur and the march towards the field of battle.
This was an effort to get through, mainly because of the one dimensional characters. His slowest and dullest book since another 'stand alone' novel, 'Stonehenge'
Cornwell's historical notes at the end of the book were of more interest and more insightful than the novel itself.
And now to really upset him.... BRING BACK STARBUCK!!!


Solid, but lacks something, 17 Nov 2008
Or Agincourt as it was when I was at school!
The Battle of Agincourt was a King Henry V led English victory against a larger French army during the Hundred Years' War (1415). In addition to a great deal of luck (ground conditions, poor French tactics) this was a battle where the power of the English archer (okay, a few Welsh as well) reigned supreme.
In typical Cornwall style he gives us a character (Nicholas Hook an English archer) against which to tell the tale and politics of the events leading up to, and the battle itself.
Cornwall's skill is in the blend of character, action and history. The Sharpe novels are obviously the perfect mix, and perhaps the blend was wrong with the Starbuck novels set in the US Civil War. In this novel it `almost' works but not quite. Hook is a talented fighter who hears voices (a Saint giving him advice) but his character felt lacking. On the march to Azincourt he suffers a personal tragedy, yet seems over it by morning!
The historical elements are, as always, excellent but the rest of this novel lacks that perfect blend that we have come to expect.


Disapointment, 14 Nov 2008
As a big fan of Bernard Cornwell I was disapointed with this latest work. The characters were dusted off versions from his 'Grail' series, the plotline unimaginative and unconvincing. To make it work It was necessary for the hero to start hearing the voices of saints, who would tell him what to do - hardly the convincing narrative we're used to. The only saving grace was the descriptions of the siege of Harfleur and the Battle of Agincourt itself. Well researched and excitingly told. Did Mr Cornewell succumb to the siren song of the Christmas Market and rush this one out? It certainly feels like it.

not yet available in Nice, 12 Nov 2008
WHY is the book called AZINCOURT? The famous battle was fought at AGINCOURT but the French, having lost the battle, changed the name of the village to AZINCOURT. The U.S. edition of this book reverts to the original name. One-up to the Yanks!

Excellent Tudor Mystery, 15 Nov 2008
What an excellent Tudor mystery - Sansom really brings Tudor life 'back to life'! If you enjoy grizzly murder mysteries with twists and turns then this is for you. It is well up to the standard of the previous 3 Shardlake novels and we can only hope the fourth one will not be too long in arriving! Read and enjoy - one to immerse onself in on a cold winter night!

Gripping!, 14 Nov 2008
Absolutely gripping, kept me guessing right up to the end.
The style was absorbing and it gave the sense that you in the midst of the group as the events unfolded.
A brilliant book - I hope this is not the end of Serjeant Shardlake!
Buy it and get stuck in.


Not quite a revelation..., 10 Nov 2008
In this latest Matthew Shardlake novel, the sights, sounds and smells of Tudor London ring as true as ever, and the struggle between religious reformers and conservatives is persuasively drawn. Unfortunately, the main plot (serial killer on the loose) is irritatingly predictable. Even a semi-comatose reader will have worked out the connection between killings before Shardlake, and from then on it's a plodding murder-by-numbers until the damp squib of a conclusion.
Perhaps the weakness of the plot would have been less obvious if the characters had been better developed. The coroner's main role sees to be to declare every thirty pages that the killer is possessed by the devil, while even Barak, a lively and resourceful presence in earlier novels, spends most of his time getting drunk and squabbling with his wife.
The scenes at Lincoln's Inn and Bedlam are well handled, but overall there is a lack of ingenuity and no real plot twists. I'm hoping Shardlake's next outing will be more inspired.


Another great fun read, 05 Nov 2008
Another Matthew Shardlake novel this time set in 1543. The times are turbulent. Catherine Howard has been executed and Henry VIII is turning away from radical Protestantism but still wants no links with Rome. Different religious factions vie for supremacy and few people can feel completely safe. Although the bible is now translated into English laws are being passed to prevent women and the lower classes from reading it. Into this heady mix comes a serial killer who seems to be selecting his victims among people who have rejected radical Protestantism and killing them in accordance with the atrocities listed in Revelations. Believing there could be a link to Catherine Parr (who Henry is hoping to marry) Archbishop Cranmer enlists Matthew Shardlake to help find the killer without letting the general public (or the king) know what is afoot.

This book is the usual great fun read that we have come to expect from the series. The characters from the earlier books (Jack Barak, Guy Malton and Bealnap) continue to be well developed. Matthew is a wonderful central character - thoughtful, wise and generous of spirit. The religious and political problems of the times are described in a way that doesn't disrupt the flow of the narrative.

At the end everything is resolved. Catherine Parr marries Henry and seems to have a calming influence on him. Cranmer feels he is once again secure in his situation. But, of course, we know what happens to him when Mary comes to the throne......



Dreary dreary woe woe, 29 Oct 2008
While agreeing with all the three-star reviewers, I am afraid that I can't even rate Revelation as high as three stars. Like Zola fan "Nana" I stopped reading half-way through but returned a few days later in hopes that the action would pick up at the end. Shardlake has always had rousing climaxes. But no, the book just ground on and on through one red herring after another and finally here he is again with yet another broken heart. But lo! we are all set up for the next installment--the Catholic plot to destroy Queen Katherine Parr. (Why, by the way does Shardlake continually refer to her as Katherine Parr when at this point in her life she was still Lady Latimer? Ho hum, yet another clumsy anachronism that the editor let fly by.) Sansom started out his series with what looked to be a serious attempt to create a real, conflicted character living in a fascinating time period, following a well-thought-out trajectory. Now he has just become another book-a-year historical mysteries hack. What a waste.

Finally Iggulden gets it right, 20 Nov 2008
I have often been critical of Iggulden's work - especially this recent series. However, that criticism has been stopped dead in its tracks. This is a stunning book, and perhaps one of the best I've ever read.

Iggulden has finally worked out what he is so good at - describing battles in a breathless and uncompromising fashion. Most of this book is a series of tremedous battles/sieges - and when he does come out of this, he keeps the less interesting interludes brief and concise. One teeny observation which does annoy me - his total fixation with one word - "wince". Surely he can find a substitute for it!

As I have said before, Iggulden will never be a writer of great sophistication, nor will he be a conveyor of intricate plotting or characterisation, however, if he sticks to what he does best - like he does so well in this book - he will continue to be a great success.

Superb end to the trilogy, 11 Nov 2008
Conn Iggulden is the master of this genre with Manfredi, Cornwell and Scarrow following close behind. I was not sure anything could top the Emperor series of books, but this may have managed it. This is the third and final book in the series and sees the fall of a great leader and general. Although he is seen as a ruthless conqueror, this book gives you a unique insight into his mind and way of thinking which makes you feel like you are almost on his side. This part of his life he takes on his biggest foe to date into new lands creating an empire than was the biggest known to man, making the Roman Empire pale into insignificance. A superb end to the trilogy, really keen to see which historical figure he tackles next.

NOT THE END, 08 Nov 2008
This is easily his best book,both of this series and the fantastic Emperor.
Many people have stated this is the end of the Mongol series however to correct this it isn't. The author has stated there are 3 mores books planned focusing on the sons/grandson of Genghis.
Should be fascinating.

great pace... until the end, 05 Nov 2008
I actually thought the first book was great, the second not quite as good, and the third one was back to being pretty great, right up until the end. I read the last 100 pages last night and when it finished, I was a bit miffed at the author for not giving me a satisfactory conclusion to the tale. I would still recommend this as being better than most of the other rubbish that gets published under the 'historical fiction' category though.

wow fanastic, 05 Nov 2008
i loved this book the best of the three thank you Con Iggulden for such a enjoyable read i was hook from the first to the last page it is imposible to put down i love the way the characters are developed Tsubodi and Jochi became my favourite characters in this book and i really enjoyed the way the story played out for the two of them. As for Genghis what he manage to achieve was amazing.

By far his best, 14 Nov 2008
I find that all of Ken Follett's other books - including World Without End - are simply "holiday reading". However Pillars of the Earth seems almost to have come from the pen of someone else. It is superb on many levels - and would certainly be in my top ten books ever. Thank you Ken!

Interesting historically, workmanlike writing, 14 Nov 2008
Someone else mentioned this, but Follett has the silly habit of summarising the previous few pages at the end of a section. As if we have 5 second attention spans and need to be reminded of what we have just read. It's incredibly annoying and condescending.

The quality of prose is at the level of a teenager. All short sentences, "he said, she said" type of stuff. No long descriptions to befuddle the reader. Some of the set pieces are quite exciting eg the historical Battle of Lincoln and the murder of Thomas Beckett. There are some wasted opportunites however. Eg two of the protaganists take a trip to Santiago de Compostela...quite a trip in those days I'm sure. However the whole trip is glossed over in a few pages.

It's basically an easy read, interesting if you're into medieval England, but in no way thought-provoking or deep. But that's ok, not everybook needs to read like Proust and hence I give it 3 stars!

Do yourself a favour - BUY THIS BOOK, 06 Nov 2008
This book is pretty damn special. A year after it was first recommended to me, I got my act together - even then it was only because the friend who recommended it grew tired of waiting for me to start and bought it for me.

Once I started reading I could not stop: a superb narrative and unforgettable characters. In fact, since finishing this book, I have truly missed them all and kind of wish I had never read the book because then it would mean that I could read it all over again.

Look at things in new ways, 06 Nov 2008
well written, if somewhat rushed as an ending, its a very engaging story. really does make me look at somethings, namely old churches and the love that went into building them, differently. But it is FAR more than a book about building a church.... you'll enjoy it :)

Spell bounding!!, 27 Oct 2008
Never heard of Ken Follett before. Family member recommended this and I took on holiday. What fantastic reading and the story just kept getting better, I just couldn't put it down. The book completely fell apart with the heat of the sun, so couldn't pass this on to my friends. I know many of them will be buying this, so have now started reading all of Ken's books. Well done....

Conn Iggulden does it again , 22 Oct 2008
Why cant Conn Iggulden write any faster? Have to say, another triumph. I love the way he writes, you feel like you are part of the whole journey. It's clever as well, because the heroes aren't heroes, there just as nasty as the bad guys, however they are your bad guys! Going to be depressed again now waiting ages for his next one :-(

Fab, 19 Oct 2008
I was going to give this book 4 stars, but I read the last half in 24hrs, I feel that any book that can draw me in such as this deserves a 5 star rating. It really is an epic story if you read and enjoyed'Wolf of the Plains' then you will love this. I particularly like that the story does not just focus on Genghis in fact there are times where the story leaves him behind and follows his brothers journeys, what's surprising is that the book is all the better for this.

In short it's well worth a read you will not be disappointed. Enjoy.

An epic story told by a master story teller, 19 Oct 2008
I was going to give this book 4 stars, but I read the last half in 24hrs, I feel that any book that can draw me in such as this deserves a 5 star rating. It really is an epic story if you read and enjoyed'Wolf of the Plains' then you will love this. I particularly like that the story does not just focus on Genghis in fact there are times where the story leaves him behind and follows his brothers journeys, what's surprising is that the book is all the better for this.

In short it's well worth a read you will not be disappointed. Enjoy.

Very good Conn., 23 Sep 2008
Not the best Conn Iggulden, but still very good. Really you need to read the first book in the Conqueror series before reading this, but it is not vital. Conn sketches out the characters, locations and events very well and the story/history is excellent. Goodies and baddies developed well. My only criticisms are that I think the book is a little short, and I think Conn wraps it all up quite quickly. I dont think so far that this series has scaled the hights of some of the Emporer series, but still Conn is probably one of the best fiction/history writers around.

Lords 4 Reel, 11 Sep 2008
I have just finished reading the book yesterday and 2 be quite honest i couldnt put it down wherever i go i take the book with me as i have read the Wolf of the Plains i couldnt wait for another book on Genghis Khan its just awesome to read i have seen book 2 but am not sure if its the same lords of the bow part 2 or the same one.need to ask at a bookshop to see cuz i cant wait to read the continuation as i have just pre-ordered BRISINGR.of the Inheritance Triology Eragon.

Compelling reading but a little lacking in spark, 15 Nov 2008
Being a real of PG I was delighted when this book was published and could not wait to read it, there not being many books written about Mary Queen of Scots. I found it compelling reading but a little disappointing compared to the other PG novels. Mary Queen of Scots was obviously a very complex character but I did not feel that her true character shone through. Was she the strong character she seems to have been portrayed as in the book or just a self-centred, scheming woman who did have something to do with the death of Darnley and was she really in love with Bothwell? Reading the novel may help you decide?

not as good as expected!, 12 Nov 2008
I have read all of Phillipa Gregorys Tudor Court novels and have become completely hooked, so I was really looking forwards to this one but I was a little dissapointed! I think becuase Mary is locked up so much its not as exciting as the court novels, I think Phillipa Gregory is an amazing writer but this book was just not for me! Im reading the Virgins Lover at the moment and I cant put it down. Its down to want peoples tastes are not the writer though as I thought the book was very well written! swings and round abouts I suppose :)

Come on Philippa!, 11 Nov 2008
I did not enjoy this book very much at all. It had promise of being fascinating, but I believe Ms Gregory has got stuck somewhere between "Quantity" rather than "Quality" stop churning the books out so fast Ms Gregory, its making the reads less enjoyable.


Good, but not great, 03 Nov 2008
Having just finished this book after a long hard slog, I have manged to come up with some redemming points on a book where though a lot happens, none of it is 'on-screen'

As many have pointed out, this book centres on three people, George Talbot, Earl of Shewsberry and his wife Bess along with Mary Queen of Scots. And it is through these three characters that we see the events.

Having ready many of Philippa Gregory's books, and going to a talk she held at the Edinburgh Book Festival, I had high hopes for this book. About 100 pages in I began to feel disapointment, but not in the way that most readers have.

My main gripe is the character of George. Although in order to make this book work, you had to see him fall for Mary, to me the author fails to get into the mail psyche. she is good at getting into a womens mindset , that the failings of Geroge's perspective become so obvious.

I liked these two women and there views and whether or not it is an accuret prespective of them, it makes them no less compelling, espeically Mary. She was the most intresting of the three. It seemed that she was willing to back anyone, who may get her out of her prison and back to her birthright and her son. Even the way she manipulates Geroge into doing her bidding, is masterful and you are always wondering is she the inoccent women she claims? She can see how to use the men that flock to her, in order to to do her bidding.

Bess, though is a social climber, sees the stability that she has had slip away and all for the sake of what she percieves to be a stepping stone to greater things, by housing the Queen of Scots. This almost leads to her complete downfall.

I would have prefered if we had Bess, Mary and Elizabeth as the narrators to this tragic tale, for Geroge is just a ping pong between his wife and the Queen of Scots and that to me was the biggest downfall. There is nothing that we could not have learned about him from Bess or Mary.

I would have given this 3 and 1/2, for it was better than a three but not as good as a 4.

the other queen, 25 Oct 2008
What has happened to the Philippa Gregory we all love and know? I found this book extremely boring and think she has let her fans down badly.She could have said it all in two chapters!! I would rate this book compared to all her other brilliantly written books absolute rubbish!! I only gave this one star as the review has no facility for scoring Nil.

Odd one out, 20 Nov 2008
I have read every one of Bernard Cornwells Books,had this book on pre order and looked forward so much to the books publication. I can only say, I was so dissapionted, I couldn't wait to get to the end and put it down.
400 pages, only two battles and it really didn't hold my interest at all, I can't express my dissapointment enough.
I must be the odd one out.

Great narrative...dreadfull dialogue..., 20 Nov 2008
This pains me..... Anyone who has met Bernard Cornwell at a book signing would I am sure agree with me when I say that he is a smashing bloke. I have many of his novels personaly signed and always buy his latest hardback.
Cornwell's 'hero' Hook is like so many other Cornwell hereos, so like Sharpe in fact and also Hookton.The dialogue between characters is repetative and boring and there are only so many ways you can insult the French!
Cornwell's discriptive narrative is always good though, and he paints great landscapes of blood, gore and battle with his usual sense of flair.
Most of the novels action does not take place at Agincourt but at Harfleur and the march towards the field of battle.
This was an effort to get through, mainly because of the one dimensional characters. His slowest and dullest book since another 'stand alone' novel, 'Stonehenge'
Cornwell's historical notes at the end of the book were of more interest and more insightful than the novel itself.
And now to really upset him.... BRING BACK STARBUCK!!!


Solid, but lacks something, 17 Nov 2008
Or Agincourt as it was when I was at school!
The Battle of Agincourt was a King Henry V led English victory against a larger French army during the Hundred Years' War (1415). In addition to a great deal of luck (ground conditions, poor French tactics) this was a battle where the power of the English archer (okay, a few Welsh as well) reigned supreme.
In typical Cornwall style he gives us a character (Nicholas Hook an English archer) against which to tell the tale and politics of the events leading up to, and the battle itself.
Cornwall's skill is in the blend of character, action and history. The Sharpe novels are obviously the perfect mix, and perhaps the blend was wrong with the Starbuck novels set in the US Civil War. In this novel it `almost' works but not quite. Hook is a talented fighter who hears voices (a Saint giving him advice) but his character felt lacking. On the march to Azincourt he suffers a personal tragedy, yet seems over it by morning!
The historical elements are, as always, excellent but the rest of this novel lacks that perfect blend that we have come to expect.


Disapointment, 14 Nov 2008
As a big fan of Bernard Cornwell I was disapointed with this latest work. The characters were dusted off versions from his 'Grail' series, the plotline unimaginative and unconvincing. To make it work It was necessary for the hero to start hearing the voices of saints, who would tell him what to do - hardly the convincing narrative we're used to. The only saving grace was the descriptions of the siege of Harfleur and the Battle of Agincourt itself. Well researched and excitingly told. Did Mr Cornewell succumb to the siren song of the Christmas Market and rush this one out? It certainly feels like it.

not yet available in Nice, 12 Nov 2008
WHY is the book called AZINCOURT? The famous battle was fought at AGINCOURT but the French, having lost the battle, changed the name of the village to AZINCOURT. The U.S. edition of this book reverts to the original name. One-up to the Yanks!

Excellent Tudor Mystery, 15 Nov 2008
What an excellent Tudor mystery - Sansom really brings Tudor life 'back to life'! If you enjoy grizzly murder mysteries with twists and turns then this is for you. It is well up to the standard of the previous 3 Shardlake novels and we can only hope the fourth one will not be too long in arriving! Read and enjoy - one to immerse onself in on a cold winter night!

Gripping!, 14 Nov 2008
Absolutely gripping, kept me guessing right up to the end.
The style was absorbing and it gave the sense that you in the midst of the group as the events unfolded.
A brilliant book - I hope this is not the end of Serjeant Shardlake!
Buy it and get stuck in.


Not quite a revelation..., 10 Nov 2008
In this latest Matthew Shardlake novel, the sights, sounds and smells of Tudor London ring as true as ever, and the struggle between religious reformers and conservatives is persuasively drawn. Unfortunately, the main plot (serial killer on the loose) is irritatingly predictable. Even a semi-comatose reader will have worked out the connection between killings before Shardlake, and from then on it's a plodding murder-by-numbers until the damp squib of a conclusion.
Perhaps the weakness of the plot would have been less obvious if the characters had been better developed. The coroner's main role sees to be to declare every thirty pages that the killer is possessed by the devil, while even Barak, a lively and resourceful presence in earlier novels, spends most of his time getting drunk and squabbling with his wife.
The scenes at Lincoln's Inn and Bedlam are well handled, but overall there is a lack of ingenuity and no real plot twists. I'm hoping Shardlake's next outing will be more inspired.


Another great fun read, 05 Nov 2008
Another Matthew Shardlake novel this time set in 1543. The times are turbulent. Catherine Howard has been executed and Henry VIII is turning away from radical Protestantism but still wants no links with Rome. Different religious factions vie for supremacy and few people can feel completely safe. Although the bible is now translated into English laws are being passed to prevent women and the lower classes from reading it. Into this heady mix comes a serial killer who seems to be selecting his victims among people who have rejected radical Protestantism and killing them in accordance with the atrocities listed in Revelations. Believing there could be a link to Catherine Parr (who Henry is hoping to marry) Archbishop Cranmer enlists Matthew Shardlake to help find the killer without letting the general public (or the king) know what is afoot.

This book is the usual great fun read that we have come to expect from the series. The characters from the earlier books (Jack Barak, Guy Malton and Bealnap) continue to be well developed. Matthew is a wonderful central character - thoughtful, wise and generous of spirit. The religious and political problems of the times are described in a way that doesn't disrupt the flow of the narrative.

At the end everything is resolved. Catherine Parr marries Henry and seems to have a calming influence on him. Cranmer feels he is once again secure in his situation. But, of course, we know what happens to him when Mary comes to the throne......



Dreary dreary woe woe, 29 Oct 2008
While agreeing with all the three-star reviewers, I am afraid that I can't even rate Revelation as high as three stars. Like Zola fan "Nana" I stopped reading half-way through but returned a few days later in hopes that the action would pick up at the end. Shardlake has always had rousing climaxes. But no, the book just ground on and on through one red herring after another and finally here he is again with yet another broken heart. But lo! we are all set up for the next installment--the Catholic plot to destroy Queen Katherine Parr. (Why, by the way does Shardlake continually refer to her as Katherine Parr when at this point in her life she was still Lady Latimer? Ho hum, yet another clumsy anachronism that the editor let fly by.) Sansom started out his series with what looked to be a serious attempt to create a real, conflicted character living in a fascinating time period, following a well-thought-out trajectory. Now he has just become another book-a-year historical mysteries hack. What a waste.

Finally Iggulden gets it right, 20 Nov 2008
I have often been critical of Iggulden's work - especially this recent series. However, that criticism has been stopped dead in its tracks. This is a stunning book, and perhaps one of the best I've ever read.

Iggulden has finally worked out what he is so good at - describing battles in a breathless and uncompromising fashion. Most of this book is a series of tremedous battles/sieges - and when he does come out of this, he keeps the less interesting interludes brief and concise. One teeny observation which does annoy me - his total fixation with one word - "wince". Surely he can find a substitute for it!

As I have said before, Iggulden will never be a writer of great sophistication, nor will he be a conveyor of intricate plotting or characterisation, however, if he sticks to what he does best - like he does so well in this book - he will continue to be a great success.

Superb end to the trilogy, 11 Nov 2008
Conn Iggulden is the master of this genre with Manfredi, Cornwell and Scarrow following close behind. I was not sure anything could top the Emperor series of books, but this may have managed it. This is the third and final book in the series and sees the fall of a great leader and general. Although he is seen as a ruthless conqueror, this book gives you a unique insight into his mind and way of thinking which makes you feel like you are almost on his side. This part of his life he takes on his biggest foe to date into new lands creating an empire than was the biggest known to man, making the Roman Empire pale into insignificance. A superb end to the trilogy, really keen to see which historical figure he tackles next.

NOT THE END, 08 Nov 2008
This is easily his best book,both of this series and the fantastic Emperor.
Many people have stated this is the end of the Mongol series however to correct this it isn't. The author has stated there are 3 mores books planned focusing on the sons/grandson of Genghis.
Should be fascinating.

great pace... until the end, 05 Nov 2008
I actually thought the first book was great, the second not quite as good, and the third one was back to being pretty great, right up until the end. I read the last 100 pages last night and when it finished, I was a bit miffed at the author for not giving me a satisfactory conclusion to the tale. I would still recommend this as being better than most of the other rubbish that gets published under the 'historical fiction' category though.

wow fanastic, 05 Nov 2008
i loved this book the best of the three thank you Con Iggulden for such a enjoyable read i was hook from the first to the last page it is imposible to put down i love the way the characters are developed Tsubodi and Jochi became my favourite characters in this book and i really enjoyed the way the story played out for the two of them. As for Genghis what he manage to achieve was amazing.

By far his best, 14 Nov 2008
I find that all of Ken Follett's other books - including World Without End - are simply "holiday reading". However Pillars of the Earth seems almost to have come from the pen of someone else. It is superb on many levels - and would certainly be in my top ten books ever. Thank you Ken!

Interesting historically, workmanlike writing, 14 Nov 2008
Someone else mentioned this, but Follett has the silly habit of summarising the previous few pages at the end of a section. As if we have 5 second attention spans and need to be reminded of what we have just read. It's incredibly annoying and condescending.

The quality of prose is at the level of a teenager. All short sentences, "he said, she said" type of stuff. No long descriptions to befuddle the reader. Some of the set pieces are quite exciting eg the historical Battle of Lincoln and the murder of Thomas Beckett. There are some wasted opportunites however. Eg two of the protaganists take a trip to Santiago de Compostela...quite a trip in those days I'm sure. However the whole trip is glossed over in a few pages.

It's basically an easy read, interesting if you're into medieval England, but in no way thought-provoking or deep. But that's ok, not everybook needs to read like Proust and hence I give it 3 stars!

Do yourself a favour - BUY THIS BOOK, 06 Nov 2008
This book is pretty damn special. A year after it was first recommended to me, I got my act together - even then it was only because the friend who recommended it grew tired of waiting for me to start and bought it for me.

Once I started reading I could not stop: a superb narrative and unforgettable characters. In fact, since finishing this book, I have truly missed them all and kind of wish I had never read the book because then it would mean that I could read it all over again.

Look at things in new ways, 06 Nov 2008
well written, if somewhat rushed as an ending, its a very engaging story. really does make me look at somethings, namely old churches and the love that went into building them, differently. But it is FAR more than a book about building a church.... you'll enjoy it :)

Spell bounding!!, 27 Oct 2008
Never heard of Ken Follett before. Family member recommended this and I took on holiday. What fantastic reading and the story just kept getting better, I just couldn't put it down. The book completely fell apart with the heat of the sun, so couldn't pass this on to my friends. I know many of them will be buying this, so have now started reading all of Ken's books. Well done....

Conn Iggulden does it again , 22 Oct 2008
Why cant Conn Iggulden write any faster? Have to say, another triumph. I love the way he writes, you feel like you are part of the whole journey. It's clever as well, because the heroes aren't heroes, there just as nasty as the bad guys, however they are your bad guys! Going to be depressed again now waiting ages for his next one :-(

Fab, 19 Oct 2008
I was going to give this book 4 stars, but I read the last half in 24hrs, I feel that any book that can draw me in such as this deserves a 5 star rating. It really is an epic story if you read and enjoyed'Wolf of the Plains' then you will love this. I particularly like that the story does not just focus on Genghis in fact there are times where the story leaves him behind and follows his brothers journeys, what's surprising is that the book is all the better for this.

In short it's well worth a read you will not be disappointed. Enjoy.

An epic story told by a master story teller, 19 Oct 2008
I was going to give this book 4 stars, but I read the last half in 24hrs, I feel that any book that can draw me in such as this deserves a 5 star rating. It really is an epic story if you read and enjoyed'Wolf of the Plains' then you will love this. I particularly like that the story does not just focus on Genghis in fact there are times where the story leaves him behind and follows his brothers journeys, what's surprising is that the book is all the better for this.

In short it's well worth a read you will not be disappointed. Enjoy.

Very good Conn., 23 Sep 2008
Not the best Conn Iggulden, but still very good. Really you need to read the first book in the Conqueror series before reading this, but it is not vital. Conn sketches out the characters, locations and events very well and the story/history is excellent. Goodies and baddies developed well. My only criticisms are that I think the book is a little short, and I think Conn wraps it all up quite quickly. I dont think so far that this series has scaled the hights of some of the Emporer series, but still Conn is probably one of the best fiction/history writers around.

Lords 4 Reel, 11 Sep 2008
I have just finished reading the book yesterday and 2 be quite honest i couldnt put it down wherever i go i take the book with me as i have read the Wolf of the Plains i couldnt wait for another book on Genghis Khan its just awesome to read i have seen book 2 but am not sure if its the same lords of the bow part 2 or the same one.need to ask at a bookshop to see cuz i cant wait to read the continuation as i have just pre-ordered BRISINGR.of the Inheritance Triology Eragon.

Compelling reading but a little lacking in spark, 15 Nov 2008
Being a real of PG I was delighted when this book was published and could not wait to read it, there not being many books written about Mary Queen of Scots. I found it compelling reading but a little disappointing compared to the other PG novels. Mary Queen of Scots was obviously a very complex character but I did not feel that her true character shone through. Was she the strong character she seems to have been portrayed as in the book or just a self-centred, scheming woman who did have something to do with the death of Darnley and was she really in love with Bothwell? Reading the novel may help you decide?

not as good as expected!, 12 Nov 2008
I have read all of Phillipa Gregorys Tudor Court novels and have become completely hooked, so I was really looking forwards to this one but I was a little dissapointed! I think becuase Mary is locked up so much its not as exciting as the court novels, I think Phillipa Gregory is an amazing writer but this book was just not for me! Im reading the Virgins Lover at the moment and I cant put it down. Its down to want peoples tastes are not the writer though as I thought the book was very well written! swings and round abouts I suppose :)

Come on Philippa!, 11 Nov 2008
I did not enjoy this book very much at all. It had promise of being fascinating, but I believe Ms Gregory has got stuck somewhere between "Quantity" rather than "Quality" stop churning the books out so fast Ms Gregory, its making the reads less enjoyable.


Good, but not great, 03 Nov 2008
Having just finished this book after a long hard slog, I have manged to come up with some redemming points on a book where though a lot happens, none of it is 'on-screen'

As many have pointed out, this book centres on three people, George Talbot, Earl of Shewsberry and his wife Bess along with Mary Queen of Scots. And it is through these three characters that we see the events.

Having ready many of Philippa Gregory's books, and going to a talk she held at the Edinburgh Book Festival, I had high hopes for this book. About 100 pages in I began to feel disapointment, but not in the way that most readers have.

My main gripe is the character of George. Although in order to make this book work, you had to see him fall for Mary, to me the author fails to get into the mail psyche. she is good at getting into a womens mindset , that the failings of Geroge's perspective become so obvious.

I liked these two women and there views and whether or not it is an accuret prespective of them, it makes them no less compelling, espeically Mary. She was the most intresting of the three. It seemed that she was willing to back anyone, who may get her out of her prison and back to her birthright and her son. Even the way she manipulates Geroge into doing her bidding, is masterful and you are always wondering is she the inoc